It's just a turn off that people like Brent & Caite and Michael & Louie aren't being strategic on what's best for themselves in long run.

Yes indeed. And if their poor choices end up bringing Karma back to knock them out of the race, it will all be worth it, for me at least.

I remember being very upset that Amanda & Kris were U-turned out of the race, and I had a grudge against your team for the rest of the season, but in hindsight it really wasn't rational of me. Part of the reason was that I didn' have all the information (so thanks for posting here and clarifying). You did what was best for you for strategy's sake. I would have done something similar, too. Personal feelings shouldn't be such a factor in who you decide to U-turn (which is why you guys U-turned Amanda & Kris despite being friends with them, and why it was wrong for Louie & Michael and Brent & Caite to use their U-turn opportunities in the way that they did). And the U-turn shouldn't be taken so personally, but, being infallible and human, we have a natural tendency to take things like that as personal attacks, when, in reality, they are compliments to how strong the U-turned team really is. But it just irritates me that this time it was a "moral" decision determined by Louie & Michael and Brent & Caite, who, in our very limited observation, don't appear to be too humble themselves. In reality, nobody has a right to make such judgments, but that's life. Maybe the U-turn should just be done away with.

I do love this season, but I've decided that in the future I will not love a season based on what occurs with the teams. To put it simply, the only fair way to judge the race and its quality is in those factors that the creators actually had control over. This season ranks as one of the best when using those criteria, IMO. I love this race course, and the cast overall is actually pretty strong. How far individual teams go or what they decide to do is beyond the producers control. And that is why the race is so interesting and entertaining.

« Last Edit: April 14, 2010, 05:43:48 PM by Hooky »

Logged

"The authority of example and considerations of character, unlike pudding, are not whipped up in an instant." - Neal A. Maxwell

Oh, and I also have to say what I think is the most important message of all: Let's all CALM DOWN. Breathe.

This is not the end of the Race or the end of the world. Every season is different, and if this one isn't ideal for one or more of us, there's always the next. I know we take this very seriously but I think we're putting too much effort into arguing over things that really aren't all that important. What happened happened, and arguing over it won't change it.

Also, I think we should try harder from this point onward to enjoy the race for what makes it great, rather than tear it down for what is making it flawed. I think we've become overly critical and it's bringing a lot of negative energy to the race forum (no, I'm not trying to preach like Michael - just making a suggestion).

(I know what you're all thinking: "I can't believe I just heard that from Hooky, the one who started this over-critical mess.")

« Last Edit: April 14, 2010, 05:55:04 PM by Hooky »

Logged

"The authority of example and considerations of character, unlike pudding, are not whipped up in an instant." - Neal A. Maxwell

Luke, sorry I didn't make my point clear. I agree with you that U-turning Amanda and Kris was a very good and strategic move on your part.I was just disagreeing with your statement that Carol/Brandy and Joe/Heidi were strong racers and deserved to be in the final three. Yes, they were strong relative to other teams, much like Amanda/Kris were. But that doesn't mean they "deserve" to be in the final three. By your logic, Amanda/Kris would also have deserved to have completed in your (TAR 14) finale, and I really don't think you would have wanted that. There's only one way to earn your spot in the Final 3: don't come last on an elimination leg.

In other news, it's good to see someone (Hooky) agree with me for once.

I still don't get why people are so bent on the Speedbump having to be a task with a hellish difficulty Isn't it enough having to deviate from the normal course and waste time (mostly transportation) on a pointless task? Check the Speedbumps:

My definition of a bad U-Turn is when you U-Turn a team that's actually weaker than you are. Do that and you've just made things tougher on yourself in the long run. That wasn't in the cards for Brent/Caite. No matter who they chose to U-Turn, they'd be improving their chances by eliminating a stronger competitor.

Another example of a bad U-Turn would be U-Turning a team that's so strong they actually survive it. This doesn't help you in the long run, and probably hurts you. If a team's right behind me and I'm not confident that the U-Turn will knock them out, I'll choose another team.

Both teams that used the U-Turn succeeded in knocking out another team, and both of them are still racing, so far be it from me to argue with their choices, even if I might have made a different choice.

Let's not forget that Brent/Caite ran by far their best leg in Episode 9, and I doubt they're going to repeat that performance. As to whether Carol/Brandy were the smartest remaining team, I suppose perhaps they were, but (a) that depends on what kind of smarts you're talking about; and (b) it isn't really saying much. "Smart" means more than being the only team that can pronounce "Seychelles."

Perhaps if I were a racer I couldn't afford to consider my personal feelings about the other racers, but as a viewer I certainly can. If I had to give a million dollars to one of these teams, I wouldn't give it to a narcissistic whiner like Brandy, who seems to be fairly well/off successful at any rate and probably needs the money less than anyone else does. I wouldn't give it to the bricks-for-brains models, who might misplace it before they got to the bank. (Do you realize that if this were baseball, they'd be guilty of running straight from second base to home plate ... twice?) I wouldn't give it to the Machiavellian cops, who have substituted puppet-mastery for actual strategy. And I wouldn't give it to the guys who phoned in their first seven legs. So who's left? Two hardworking, decent, thoroughly likable guys in a demanding, dangerous, low-paying profession who've managed to remain under the other racers' radar.

What I want to say is that there are those who play very emotionally and those who play very intellectually. I am sure everyone would like to think they are being really intellectual and cerebral and all that, but by golly sometimes you just go on a hunch, or go with your feelings.

Now,going back to Caite and her partner and the two lesbian ladies whose names I can never remember. I am sure that we in the viewing audience were getting info through some very clever editing that was brainstormed AFTER Caite and her partner actually had u-turned this team, but let's face it, they had been told from the beginning that the two ladies were making fun of them, and the ladies themselves appeared to have personally confirmed that they thought the couple was stupid. If I was the Caite and whatshisname couple, I'd have u-turned them too, just because I could and just to shut them up once and for all and GET THEM OUT OF THE GAME OUT OF SHEER SPITE. They had it coming. You all know they did.

And also, they could have actually won!

If I was Caite or her partner, even if I didn't think I could win, I wouldn't want THEM to win. This is these two ladies' own fault. Even though they made fun at the beginning of the race, if they were half as smart as they seemed to think they were, they would have smoothed that over pretty soon after the start. This is not a game where you want people to be mad at you. A little bit of help along the way has saved many an Amazing Racer and we all have seen that. These older ladies were not only nasty and cruel, they were arrogant.

I think they don't realize how abrasive they were because they didn't see or live the edited product, as we did. Maybe they will have a different story if they ever watch videos of the whole season. Still, whatever was really happening, they were not making Caite and her partner feel particularly forgiving.

So all of you intellectuals who want to argue the intelligence of the u-turn, keep this in mind: Sometimes simple human feelings can trump all the rational argument. Karma can be a killer. And guess what, ladies? THIS TIME IT WAS AND YOU'RE GONE!!!

I agree with shzron1946. You don't have to be an Erwin & Godwin (who sabotaged their own race to help their allies a little too much), I've re-watched the episodes. Joe comes out as pretty arrogant. Carol & Brandy... the word starts with b, assume what you want.

OK, after going through all previous episodes, somehow the U-Turns were both personal and yet it's some coincidence that they did eliminate two strong teams. I mean, only an idiot can think that Joe/Heidi and Carol/Brandy weren't much of a threat. They've both run solid legs until they were eliminated. If both were in the F4 with Brent/Caite and Mike/Louie, they would also be threats. And maybe they could help Brent/Caite because now that the "mean lesbians" are out they can finally concentrate on actually WINNING then beating those two girls.

Sidenote: This season I find the U-Turn placings very sadistic. If you want to put a U-Turn in a race, make sure time can be made up. Joe/Heidi couldn't even finish the task even with Jordeff being hours and hours behind (Morse code is hard to learn in just a few hours), and the locations of the detours in Leg 9 were REALLY far apart, plus you have to deal with Singapore traffic. Those things were like death sentences for teams who received them.

My definition of a bad U-Turn is when you U-Turn a team that's actually weaker than you are. Do that and you've just made things tougher on yourself in the long run. That wasn't in the cards for Brent/Caite. No matter who they chose to U-Turn, they'd be improving their chances by eliminating a stronger competitor.

Another example of a bad U-Turn would be U-Turning a team that's so strong they actually survive it. This doesn't help you in the long run, and probably hurts you. If a team's right behind me and I'm not confident that the U-Turn will knock them out, I'll choose another team.

Both teams that used the U-Turn succeeded in knocking out another team, and both of them are still racing, so far be it from me to argue with their choices, even if I might have made a different choice.

Let's not forget that Brent/Caite ran by far their best leg in Episode 9, and I doubt they're going to repeat that performance. As to whether Carol/Brandy were the smartest remaining team, I suppose perhaps they were, but (a) that depends on what kind of smarts you're talking about; and (b) it isn't really saying much. "Smart" means more than being the only team that can pronounce "Seychelles."

Perhaps if I were a racer I couldn't afford to consider my personal feelings about the other racers, but as a viewer I certainly can. If I had to give a million dollars to one of these teams, I wouldn't give it to a narcissistic whiner like Brandy, who seems to be fairly well/off successful at any rate and probably needs the money less than anyone else does. I wouldn't give it to the bricks-for-brains models, who might misplace it before they got to the bank. (Do you realize that if this were baseball, they'd be guilty of running straight from second base to home plate ... twice?) I wouldn't give it to the Machiavellian cops, who have substituted puppet-mastery for actual strategy. And I wouldn't give it to the guys who phoned in their first seven legs. So who's left? Two hardworking, decent, thoroughly likable guys in a demanding, dangerous, low-paying profession who've managed to remain under the other racers' radar.

I totally agree with this. Plus Brent/caite removed the team that caused them so much irritation that now they can race without this baggage lol

OMFG..!! You're so freaking right..this season's casting (and the locations/tasks) is the dumbest (boring) ever...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is NOTHING in comparison with season's 3-7-10-14 cast...i think the recluting crew should be changed because (obviously) they're not doing a good job.Here are the reasons i HATE this season:

1. The teams have no passion for the race.2. There's no so much drama/friction between the racers3. The tasks are designed for a kids version (put a scarf on a llama?, put a condor costume and jump on a lake??)4. The performances of the racers are no memorables, there's no even one team who should be put on the all-stars season (i hope the producers decide to do it)5. The decisions they teams made are the dumbest ever, specially on the u-turns...and the speed bumps are so silly than even my little sister could do that.

If they wanna have a really exciting/memorable performance they should be copying those teams perfomances: Uchenna and Joyce,Rob and Amber, Dustin & Kandice, Nate & Jane, Nick & Starr, Tammy and Victor and Megan and Cheyne.

I have to really disagree with you.1. You can't really prove that they have no passion. Each person has a different way of expressing their passion. I myself feel that Jordan (of Dan and Jordan) has a lot of passion for the race.2. Yes there wasn't drama but it is really that bad? Some seasons didn't have Drama until the end TAR 15 Brothers/Globtrotters. 3. Well why don't you sign up? Did you feel how cold it was when they jumped in the water. Do you know how fast you run compared to the lamas?? Unless you have done it, don't complain on easy task because some people may think that bungee jumping was easy, sky diving was easy, the FF in TAR 1 with the counting was easy. 4. So basically you would rather have someone who dominates the whole race and wins every single leg right? Because a team is determined as memorable not because they win every single leg but because of their personality. I would rather prefer Dan and Jordan than Nick and Starr on All Star because they bring an entertainment value to the show. Yes they may not be the strongest team, but to some people, some teams may be memorable. Also, If Jet and Cord win this season, did you know that their average would be higher than Nick and Starr? 5. This has been discuss ed before on other threads. They just came off a 10 hour train ride, their tired, and exhausted. Obviously they would target the people that they think have been trashing them. It is all human nature. And as stated in this thread I believe, Speed Bump have always been easy. They're not to seal a fate of a NELed team but to waste time (mainly on transport) and have them catch up on time. If the Speed Bump was as hard as the Hay task in TAR 15 switchback, which team would survive a speed bump?

And just on your list of teams, I like one or two of those teams and Nate and Jen never won a leg. And sorry for my ranting but I just want to get my ideas clear.

I wanna thank you for replying to my post..but i have different opinions in comparison with yours:

1. Dan And Jordan are two silly brothers who remain in the race, for two reasons...good luck, and other's people stupid decisions. They (and the rest of the teams) don't show any kind of passion or drive, regardless of what kind of situation they're in (win or lose).2. Yes, it is bad..!! look at the rankings......!!!!!!!! and also, they're no so much reasons to watch this season..they're boring to death!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!3. I would sing up; i just can't cuz im not in the USA...!!! how cold the water was? if you re-watch that episode, you'll see (i hope) that they were wearing a special swimsuit that protects them from the cold water....and about the lama, how much a lama can run in a enclosed space?? Bungee jump..you think that's hard? just close your eyes and go!!! i mean........!LOL4. Yeah, cowboys will have a better average, but are they the strongest and most memorable team? do they deserve the winning? i really doubt it....People have their own opinion, and if you ask me (and more than half of America) all those teams are dead on their books.!!5. They're differents level of difficulty, and obviously the speed bump's level is the lowest!! the hay switchback is in a really high level...my opinion is that the speed bumps should be on a medium-high level.....And as i say, they're stupid people..!!!! cuz obviously smart people, will throw all pain away and think wisely, instead of just guess who should be. Margie and Luke and Tammy and Victor are obviously smart racers cuz they choose to u-turn their biggest competition at that time...learn from the best people.!

« Last Edit: April 18, 2010, 03:11:19 PM by docol »

Logged

"" JUSTICE 4 DUSTIN&KANDICE: PUT THEM ON THE AMAZING RACE LEGENDS SEASON ""

But I think we can all safely say that there's no way a team could have completed the Morse Code Detour if they have no prior knowledge to morse code?

It could have been a great opportunity to knock out Jet and Cord. Just my 2 cents worth.

I think Jet and Cord would have been able to complete the Morse Code for a couple of reasons:- They always remain calm in pressure situations/ They had a Speedbump to complete and they still came in first-The directions were provided for the teams so they did not have to know anything about the Morse Code-Like Brent and Catie said the cowboys are "magical"

OMFG..!! You're so freaking right..this season's casting (and the locations/tasks) is the dumbest (boring) ever...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is NOTHING in comparison with season's 3-7-10-14 cast...i think the recluting crew should be changed because (obviously) they're not doing a good job.Here are the reasons i HATE this season:

1. The teams have no passion for the race.2. There's no so much drama/friction between the racers3. The tasks are designed for a kids version (put a scarf on a llama?, put a condor costume and jump on a lake??)4. The performances of the racers are no memorables, there's no even one team who should be put on the all-stars season (i hope the producers decide to do it)5. The decisions they teams made are the dumbest ever, specially on the u-turns...and the speed bumps are so silly than even my little sister could do that.

If they wanna have a really exciting/memorable performance they should be copying those teams perfomances: Uchenna and Joyce,Rob and Amber, Dustin & Kandice, Nate & Jane, Nick & Starr, Tammy and Victor and Megan and Cheyne.

I have to really disagree with you.1. You can't really prove that they have no passion. Each person has a different way of expressing their passion. I myself feel that Jordan (of Dan and Jordan) has a lot of passion for the race.2. Yes there wasn't drama but it is really that bad? Some seasons didn't have Drama until the end TAR 15 Brothers/Globtrotters. 3. Well why don't you sign up? Did you feel how cold it was when they jumped in the water. Do you know how fast you run compared to the lamas?? Unless you have done it, don't complain on easy task because some people may think that bungee jumping was easy, sky diving was easy, the FF in TAR 1 with the counting was easy. 4. So basically you would rather have someone who dominates the whole race and wins every single leg right? Because a team is determined as memorable not because they win every single leg but because of their personality. I would rather prefer Dan and Jordan than Nick and Starr on All Star because they bring an entertainment value to the show. Yes they may not be the strongest team, but to some people, some teams may be memorable. Also, If Jet and Cord win this season, did you know that their average would be higher than Nick and Starr? 5. This has been discuss ed before on other threads. They just came off a 10 hour train ride, their tired, and exhausted. Obviously they would target the people that they think have been trashing them. It is all human nature. And as stated in this thread I believe, Speed Bump have always been easy. They're not to seal a fate of a NELed team but to waste time (mainly on transport) and have them catch up on time. If the Speed Bump was as hard as the Hay task in TAR 15 switchback, which team would survive a speed bump?

And just on your list of teams, I like one or two of those teams and Nate and Jen never won a leg. And sorry for my ranting but I just want to get my ideas clear.

I wanna thank you for replying to my post..but i have different opinions in comparison with yours:

1. Dan And Jordan are two silly brothers who remain in the race, for two reasons...good luck, and other's people stupid decisions. They (and the rest of the teams) don't show any kind of passion or drive, regardless of what kind of situation they're in (win or lose).2. Yes, it is bad..!! look at the rankings......!!!!!!!! and also, they're no so much reasons to watch this season..they're boring to death!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!3. I would sing up; i just can't cuz im not in the USA...!!! how cold the water was? if you re-watch that episode, you'll see (i hope) that they were wearing a special swimsuit that protects them from the cold water....and about the lama, how much a lama can run in a enclosed space?? Bungee jump..you think that's hard? just close your eyes and go!!! i mean........!LOL4. Yeah, cowboys will have a better average, but are they the strongest and most memorable team? do they deserve the winning? i really doubt it....People have their own opinion, and if you ask me (and more than half of America) all those teams are dead on their books.!!5. They're differents level of difficulty, and obviously the speed bump's level is the lowest!! the hay switchback is in a really high level...my opinion is that the speed bumps should be on a medium-high level.....And as i say, they're stupid people..!!!! cuz obviously smart people, will throw all pain away and think wisely, instead of just guess who should be. Margie and Luke and Tammy and Victor are obviously smart racers cuz they choose to u-turn their biggest competition at that time...learn from the best people.!

Margie and Luke and Tammy and Victor are obviously smart racers cuz they choose to u-turn their biggest competition at that time...learn from the best people.!

...except they didn't U-Turn each other.

IMO the only reason to use a U-Turn is if you're next-to-last and want to put some distance between yourselves and the last team. U-Turning a team due to petty differences is silly because it shows you can't focus, but U-Turning a really strong team introduces luck; if the strong team survives, then a) you've wasted a U-Turn and b) you've burned a bridge.

Though they should really get rid of the thing - let people win or lose on their own.

I wanna thank you for replying to my post..but i have different opinions in comparison with yours:

1. Dan And Jordan are two silly brothers who remain in the race, for two reasons...good luck, and other's people stupid decisions. They (and the rest of the teams) don't show any kind of passion or drive, regardless of what kind of situation they're in (win or lose).2. Yes, it is bad..!! look at the rankings......!!!!!!!! and also, they're no so much reasons to watch this season..they're boring to death!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!3. I would sing up; i just can't cuz im not in the USA...!!! how cold the water was? if you re-watch that episode, you'll see (i hope) that they were wearing a special swimsuit that protects them from the cold water....and about the lama, how much a lama can run in a enclosed space?? Bungee jump..you think that's hard? just close your eyes and go!!! i mean........!LOL4. Yeah, cowboys will have a better average, but are they the strongest and most memorable team? do they deserve the winning? i really doubt it....People have their own opinion, and if you ask me (and more than half of America) all those teams are dead on their books.!!5. They're differents level of difficulty, and obviously the speed bump's level is the lowest!! the hay switchback is in a really high level...my opinion is that the speed bumps should be on a medium-high level.....And as i say, they're stupid people..!!!! cuz obviously smart people, will throw all pain away and think wisely, instead of just guess who should be. Margie and Luke and Tammy and Victor are obviously smart racers cuz they choose to u-turn their biggest competition at that time...learn from the best people.!

I don't wanna start an argument. But I'm just saying my opinion:

1. Jordan is totally in love with the race. Look at how he was smiling all throughout the WWI detour while others were complaining about what they had to do. It's his dream to win TAR. Dan actually doesn't wanna be there as much as Jordan, because he dislikes traveling, but he still hasn't complained as much as other teams have, and supports his brother.2. Believe me, I've seen more boring contestants than this season. At least this season I smile or laugh at least once every leg. There were some seasons where I just sat in front of my TV looking at who was in last and first (S15, S4, S13)3. Llamas are very hard to deal with, especially if u don't have a frickin' clue how to deal with them properly. They're really mischievous and can act like they have ADHD. And bungee jumping...it depends on you...if you're scared to death of heights, it's going to be hard. Look at how Jen nearly quit because she couldn't swim, or how Mika gave up on going down a waterslide simply because she was afraid of heights and water.4. They aren't the strongest (public gives that award to Eric/Jeremy) or the most memorable, but they certainly are memorable for the fact that they're unique and their last-to-first with speed bump achievement. They've mainly kept this season alive because the others are either really boring or simply pathetic racers. (the only exception is Steve/Allie, who instead were dished the editors' hatred)5. Speed bumps (as discussed earlier) aren't meant to be difficult. They're just meant to eat up the team's time. If you don't have a solid lead over at least one other team, it can spell your doom. If it were just like any other detour/roadblock difficulty task, I think no last place team would be able to catch up. If that were the case, what's the whole point of an NEL then??

Since there is no Amazing Race this week I'll write about the cast instead

1. Dan & Jordan: Jordan is a massive race-fan, Dan is just there for the ride. In early legs I didn't really like them, but as the race grew, I like them a little. They are kind of cute like irritating big brothers

2. Brent & Caite: I disagree about them being dumb, you need racing smarts and IQ to stay in the race for long. They are the only team with the second most top four placings (tied with Steve & Allie and Carol & Brandy) and seemed to overcome bad decisions and bad luck in the earlier legs. If they can avoid screwing up in the final 2 legs (see Toni & Dallas) they can make it into the final three.

3. Jet & Cord: Come on guys. GIVE THE COWBOYS A BREAK. Hate them or love them, they are the team to beat this season.

4. Louie & Michael. Yeah, they may not lack race smarts, or physical fitness, but they have been lucky (aka working hard) to stay in the race. You don't finish first three times in a row without hard work.

Logged

DavidJunior

1. Dan And Jordan are two silly brothers who remain in the race, for two reasons...good luck, and other's people stupid decisions. They (and the rest of the teams) don't show any kind of passion or drive, regardless of what kind of situation they're in (win or lose).2. Yes, it is bad..!! look at the rankings......!!!!!!!! and also, they're no so much reasons to watch this season..they're boring to death!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!3. I would sing up; i just can't cuz im not in the USA...!!! how cold the water was? if you re-watch that episode, you'll see (i hope) that they were wearing a special swimsuit that protects them from the cold water....and about the lama, how much a lama can run in a enclosed space?? Bungee jump..you think that's hard? just close your eyes and go!!! i mean........!LOL4. Yeah, cowboys will have a better average, but are they the strongest and most memorable team? do they deserve the winning? i really doubt it....People have their own opinion, and if you ask me (and more than half of America) all those teams are dead on their books.!!5. They're differents level of difficulty, and obviously the speed bump's level is the lowest!! the hay switchback is in a really high level...my opinion is that the speed bumps should be on a medium-high level.....And as i say, they're stupid people..!!!! cuz obviously smart people, will throw all pain away and think wisely, instead of just guess who should be. Margie and Luke and Tammy and Victor are obviously smart racers cuz they choose to u-turn their biggest competition at that time...learn from the best people.!

spurring on more debate (NOT arguing, i hate arguing):

1. I feel Jordan has got to be THE most passionate racer this season. It may not show all the time, but he has a love for the race and a pure enjoyment for every thing that he's doing. I mean, he climbed across the top of the freakin' Singapore Flyer- when he's deathly afraid of heights. And Dan, although he doesn't have a passion for racing, has amazing strength and character for STILL racing, when he hates traveling. His passion for making sure his brother is happy, no matter the cost is a great thing to see.

2. So, you're saying that a team doesn't deserve to win because they had a couple bad legs? What happened to whoever makes it to the end deserves to be there? Making it farther in the race involves skill, knowledge, luck, and social grace (both with teams and locals). Although some of the remaining teams don't have some of those, some of the "stronger" eliminated teams, were definitely lacking in others.

3. the water task was more of a time consuming task, than a "difficult" task. The amount of time to put the wet suits on, put that stupid bird contraption and climb up to the dock, jumping off, getting out of the contraption while being suspended in water, swimming a decent distance to AND from the buoy, getting the wet suits off; putting all of that together, it takes a good chunk of time. And the llamas can be very unpredictable and volatile, and I believe once they choose one, they have to stick to it. So, if they got a foul tempered one (which is super easy with llamas), they're stuck with it. They only seemed easy because they edited it down to 1 minute per team for the show. and bungee jumping can be a difficult task, whether you're scared of heights or not. and there were definitely "easier" tasks in seasons past.

4. the cowboys are the strongest team this season, and one of the more memorable ones. again, any team that makes it to the end, deserves to win. they made it there, other teams didn't, simple as that. you can whine and complain all you want, but it will not change the fact that those teams are there, and your favorites are gone.

5. speed bumps are supposed to be easy, like was stated several times in this thread already. the switchback was only hard because they chose to use the TOUGHEST task in race history. and again, were Joe and Heidi and Carol and Brandy NOT strong teams? Do they all of a sudden deserve to not be U-turn, just for the reasoning? They were both still reasonable threats, and I, myself, would've U-turned Carol/Brandy at that point in the race, knowing of the imminent memory challenge that is coming with the finale.

This season isn't as bad as everyone claims. There are countless times where the teams I'm rooting for don't make it as far as I'd like, but does that make those seasons "bad seasons?" No, look past the teams, and look at the race in general.

If they had a switchback this season, they should have done the meat-eating roadblock, and instead of 4 pounds of meat, they have to eat 6 pounds of meat !

But anyways, back on topic. I really don't see why people hated Brent and Caite's decision to use the U-turn on Brandy and Carol. For them, it's a smart decision because, they would be considered a stronger team to them, and they hated them. I mean, if you had a choice between two teams that are about the same strength, but you hate one, you would choose the team that you hate...

I am enjoying this race quite a bit (much more than the past 3 seasons), but it's good to see others' viewpoints every now and then. It'a fact of life that EVERYTHING will always have its critics. Half the people here are arguing for its merits, and the other half aren't.

I personally believe that people should be allowed to complain about their favorite and hated teams (I have my fair share of dislike towards about a third of the cast this season). I also believe that route- and task-wise this season is considerably better than the last three. The latter point is something I haven't really heard anybody dispute.

I think that part of the problem with deciding whether the U-Turn was a good idea is the fact that there are so many other factors and unknowns that you just cannot account for. It's easy to say that if Carol and Brandy made it to the final three that they would have had an advantage, but they could have easily just been screwed over by some stupid third-party factor, such as the fact that they are short. That definitely would have made a difference in the challenge in TAR15 finale with the bouquets.

One of the reasons that I LOVE TAR is the fact that its mostly based on challenges, but there are elements of social play. Unlike Survivor, your life in the game doesn't depend on your social game NEARLY as much as your ability to cope with challenges and frustration.

I think that part of the problem with deciding whether the U-Turn was a good idea is the fact that there are so many other factors and unknowns that you just cannot account for. It's easy to say that if Carol and Brandy made it to the final three that they would have had an advantage, but they could have easily just been screwed over by some stupid third-party factor, such as the fact that they are short. That definitely would have made a difference in the challenge in TAR15 finale with the bouquets.

One of the reasons that I LOVE TAR is the fact that its mostly based on challenges, but there are elements of social play. Unlike Survivor, your life in the game doesn't depend on your social game NEARLY as much as your ability to cope with challenges and frustration.

I think social game is a huge factor on the Amazing Race - that's what saved my mom and me from being U-Turned in Beijing for having an alliance with Tammy & Victor. Sharing the information with the teams can be pretty helpful - that's what saved my mom and me in India when we were unable to understand the clue on the phone then Jaime & Cara told us what the clue was. Sure, it seems like a social game isn't a big deal on the Race, but it is a big deal in some way which could be a huge help. Also, we had to interact with the foreigners on where to go and we had to depends on the cab drivers' knowledge which could be a huge break or a bad luck on the Race.

Take a look at my season, the "loosen" alliances are a huge factor on the Race. Jaime & Cara, Tammy & Victor, Mom & I squared off with Mike & Mel, Preston & Jennifer, Amanda & Kris while Jodi & Christie, Jen & Kisha, Mark & Michael, Brad & Victoria were on their own. My entire alliance made it to the Final Three. Sometime, it paid off to have an alliance with couple teams. But for some seasons, it doesn't pan out well.

Take a look at my season, the "loosen" alliances are a huge factor on the Race. Jaime & Cara, Tammy & Victor, Mom & I squared off with Mike & Mel, Preston & Jennifer, Amanda & Kris while Jodi & Christie, Jen & Kisha, Mark & Michael, Brad & Victoria were on their own. My entire alliance made it to the Final Three. Sometime, it paid off to have an alliance with couple teams. But for some seasons, it doesn't pan out well.

Luke, was there really a time that you ally with them, and where did this happen? Same with the Mel and Mike alliance.

Take a look at my season, the "loosen" alliances are a huge factor on the Race. Jaime & Cara, Tammy & Victor, Mom & I squared off with Mike & Mel, Preston & Jennifer, Amanda & Kris while Jodi & Christie, Jen & Kisha, Mark & Michael, Brad & Victoria were on their own. My entire alliance made it to the Final Three. Sometime, it paid off to have an alliance with couple teams. But for some seasons, it doesn't pan out well.

Luke, was there really a time that you ally with them, and where did this happen? Same with the Mel and Mike alliance.

Remember the race is 23 days and y'all only got to see 12 hours of it.